While immunosenescence, defined as reduced production of new lymphocytes, restriction of T-cell receptor repertoire and telomeres shortening, has been extensively evaluated in HIV-infected children and adults, no data about these parameters are available in perinatally-infected patients with very long-lasting HIV infection. We compared thymic and bone marrow output, telomere length (measured by Real-Time PCR) and T-cell receptor repertoire (determined by spectratyping) of 21 perinatally HIV-infected subjects (with a median of 27 years of infection) with those of 19 age-matched non-perinatally HIV-infected patients and 40 healthy controls. All patients received a combined antiretroviral therapy. While thymic and bone marrow output were not different among the analyzed groups, telomere length in peripheral blood cells and T-cell receptor diversity were significantly lower in HIV-perinatally and non-perinatally infected individuals compared to healthy controls. In HIV-infected subjects, a normal thymic output together with a reduced telomere length and a restricted T-cell receptor repertoire could be explained by the shift of newly produced cells into memory subsets. This phenomenon may allow to control viral infection and maintain peripheral homeostasis.

中文翻译：

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围产期 HIV 感染患者在 30 岁后维持淋巴细胞稳态

虽然免疫衰老（定义为新淋巴细胞生成减少、T 细胞受体库限制和端粒缩短）已在 HIV 感染的儿童和成人中进行了广泛评估，但在围产期感染的长期感染患者中没有关于这些参数的数据。持久的艾滋病毒感染。我们比较了 21 名围产期 HIV 感染受试者（感染中位数为 27 年）与 19年龄匹配的非围产期 HIV 感染患者和 40 名健康对照。所有患者均接受联合抗逆转录病毒治疗。虽然分析组之间的胸腺和骨髓输出量没有差异，与健康对照组相比，围产期和非围产期感染 HIV 的个体外周血细胞的端粒长度和 T 细胞受体多样性显着降低。在感染 HIV 的受试者中，正常的胸腺输出以及减少的端粒长度和受限的 T 细胞受体库可以通过新产生的细胞向记忆子集的转变来解释。这种现象可以控制病毒感染并维持外周稳态。